In a 195-page decision, U.S. District Court Judge Shira
Scheindlin ruled that the police tactic, which saw innocent
people stopped and frisked with little or no evidence of
wrongdoing, violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects against
unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.

Additionally, the Associated Press reports that Judge Scheindlin
has appointed Peter L. Zimroth, once a city lawyer and a former
chief assistant district attorney, to lead a group that will
oversee changes to the policy.

The decision came after four men had sued saying they were
unfairly targeted because of their race. The NYPD's policy, known
as stop, question and frisk, has seen at least five million
people, mostly black and Hispanic men, stopped over the last
ten years, the AP reports.